ISO to USB

ISO to USB

ISO to USB software allows you to take an ISO disc image file and write it to a USB flash drive to create a bootable USB drive. This allows you to install operating systems or run live distributions without needing a disc drive.
ISO to USB image
iso usb bootable live-distro

ISO to USB: Create Bootable USB

Create a bootable USB drive from an ISO disc image file, no CD/DVD drive needed

What is ISO to USB?

ISO to USB software provides the ability to take an ISO file, which is a disc image formatted to the ISO9660 standard, and write it to a USB flash drive so that the USB can be used as if it were a bootable CD or DVD. This is useful for installing operating systems like Linux distributions or Windows without needing an optical disc drive.

The process involves first downloading an ISO file for the operating system or bootable live distribution you wish to use. Many Linux variants like Ubuntu and Fedora offer ISO files for download to install or demo the OS. Then ISO to USB software allows you to point to your downloaded ISO file and select the USB drive to write it to. The software handles partitioning the drive, making it bootable, and copying over the contents of the ISO so that it can be booted from just like a CD.

The advantages of using ISO to USB software over burning an actual disc include convenience, speed, and flexibility. You don't need access to an optical drive, which many modern laptops lack, and it's generally much faster to create a live USB drive than burn and boot an actual DVD. USB drives are also reusable, allowing you to overwrite the contents with a different ISO for a different operating system whenever needed. Just a few clicks converts the USB into a bootable drive.

Popular free ISO to USB tools include Rufus for Windows, dd and UNetbootin for Linux, and BalenaEtcher as a cross-platform option. So if you need to install something like a Linux distribution or want to carry a portable Windows PE environment without discs, ISO to USB software makes the process simple and fast.

ISO to USB Features

Features

  1. Create bootable USB drives from ISO files
  2. Supports various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS
  3. Ability to write ISO files to USB drives with a single click
  4. Customizable USB drive formatting options
  5. Supports multiple USB drive partitions

Pricing

  • Free

Pros

Easy to use interface

Supports a wide range of ISO file formats

Allows for quick and efficient creation of bootable USB drives

Useful for installing operating systems or running live distributions

Cons

Limited advanced features compared to some other tools

May not work with all USB drives or ISO files

Some users may prefer command-line tools for more control


The Best ISO to USB Alternatives

Top Os & Utilities and Disc Burning & Imaging and other similar apps like ISO to USB


BalenaEtcher icon

BalenaEtcher

balenaEtcher is a popular, free, and open-source disk image flasher tool used for burning image files such as ISO and IMG files to external devices such as USB flash drives, SD cards, and microSD cards. It is available to download and install on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.Some of...
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Ventoy icon

Ventoy

Ventoy is an open source bootable USB solution that allows you to store multiple ISO files on a USB drive and boot from them directly without extracting their contents. It works by installing a lightweight bootloader on the USB drive that can automatically detect and boot ISO files stored in...
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Rufus icon

Rufus

Rufus is a user-friendly, lightweight, and efficient utility designed for creating bootable USB drives. It is particularly useful when installing or troubleshooting operating systems, as well as for running various tools directly from a USB flash drive. Rufus is known for its simplicity and speed in creating bootable media. Key...
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MultiBootUSB icon

MultiBootUSB

MultiBootUSB is an open source, cross-platform application that enables you to install multiple live Linux distributions on a single USB flash drive. It is designed to be an easy and convenient way to configure, install, and manage multiple operating systems on one USB stick.Some key features of MultiBootUSB include:Supports a...
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WoeUSB icon

WoeUSB

WoeUSB is a open source Linux utility for easily creating bootable USB drives from Windows installation images. It allows you to take a Windows installation ISO or disk image file and write it to a USB drive, formatting and configuring the drive properly so that it can be used to...
WoeUSB image
UNetbootin icon

UNetbootin

UNetbootin is an open-source utility that allows users to create bootable live USB drives for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without requiring a CD. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.Some key features of UNetbootin include:Ability to select from a variety of Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE,...
UNetbootin image
YUMI icon

YUMI

YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) is a free tool developed by Pendrivelinux that allows you to create a bootable USB thumb drive containing multiple OS installers. It works by partitioning the USB drive so that each partition acts as a separate bootable device.Some of the key features of YUMI include:Supports...
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Universal USB Installer icon

Universal USB Installer

Universal USB Installer is a free, open-source program for installing Linux distributions and other operating systems on USB drives from ISO files. It allows you to easily download various Linux and operating system distributions, and then create a bootable USB drive containing the installation media. Some of the key features...
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WinSetupFromUSB icon

WinSetupFromUSB

WinSetupFromUSB is a free portable Windows app that allows you to easily install Windows operating systems from a bootable USB flash drive. It can download Windows ISO files automatically and prepare your USB drive to be bootable for installing Windows.Some key features of WinSetupFromUSB:Supports creating bootable USB drives for installing...
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LinuxLive USB Creator icon

LinuxLive USB Creator

LinuxLive USB Creator is a free, open source application for Windows that provides an easy way to create bootable, portable Linux USB drives from ISO files. It can take a Linux distribution ISO file and deploy it onto a USB flash drive, allowing you to boot and run that Linux...
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EasyBoot icon

EasyBoot

EasyBoot is a user-friendly boot manager that makes it easy to install and boot multiple operating systems on a single computer. It allows you to dual-boot operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS from either a USB drive or CD.Some key features of EasyBoot include:Graphical user interface for easy installation...
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Tuxboot icon

Tuxboot

Tuxboot is an open source, easy-to-use utility for creating bootable Linux USB drives on Windows. It supports live and install drive creation for over 200 Linux distributions including popular distros like Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Linux Mint, Arch Linux, Gentoo, and more.Some key features of Tuxboot include:Intuitive graphical user interface for...
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WinDiskWriter icon

WinDiskWriter

WinDiskWriter is free software for creating bootable USB drives from disk image files such as Windows ISO files. With WinDiskWriter you can easily set up a bootable Windows installation USB that allows you to install or repair Windows on PCs or laptops.Key features of WinDiskWriter include:Supports Windows ISO files for...
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Flash boot builder icon

Flash boot builder

Flash boot builder is an open-source, cross-platform application for creating bootable USB drives and SD cards. It allows you to easily install Linux distributions or other operating systems on a USB stick or SD card from ISO files.Some key features of Flash boot builder:Supports the creation of multi-boot USB drives,...